Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

At Zhao Nuan Yang’s words, He Qiang’s face turned pale. He asked urgently, ”Nuanyang, tell me the truth. Is Master... not going to make it?”

’Master is already eighty,’ He Qiang thought. ’Maybe he really isn’t going to make it.’

”That’s not it. Master just needs you for something. You should come with me to his place first.” Zhao Nuan Yang didn’t tell the truth, deciding it was best to let their master explain things once they arrived.

Seeing Zhao Nuan Yang being so evasive, He Qiang grew anxious. He got in the car and said, ”Uncle Qian, Aunt Qian, my master wants me to come over immediately. I’m going to go check on him. With Nuanyue here to take care of you, I can rest easy.”

”Alright, you should hurry over.” Old Sir Qian also assumed something had happened to Master Hu and that he probably wanted to see He Qiang one last time.

Liu Wenqiang’s car, with He Qiang and Zhao Nuan Yang inside, quickly drove away.

The bodyguards placed all of the elderly couple’s luggage in the car, then helped them get in.

As Zhang Hong drove off, Old Madam Qian asked from inside the car, ”Nuanyue, what’s happened to Master Hu?”

Zhao Nuanyue was taken aback for a moment, then gave a wry smile. He Qiang would find out the truth soon enough, so there was no need to keep hiding it. ”Sigh,” she said. ”Nothing is wrong with Master Hu. It’s actually something to do with He Qiang’s family.”

”Ah?” Old Sir Qian was stunned. ”What happened to He Qiang’s family? Did something happen to his wife and child?”

”His son is fine, doing very well. I visit him often,” Zhao Nuanyue replied. Then, choosing her words carefully, she slowly explained, ”He Qiang’s wife remarried before we returned to the city. I hadn’t planned on hiding it from him, but I was worried he wouldn’t be able to handle it and that it would interfere with his reform. So, I consulted Master Hu. He knows that He Qiang is passionate and can act impulsively, so the old master decided it was best not to tell him.”

Hearing this, Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian exchanged a look, worry reflected in each other’s eyes.

They knew how much He Qiang missed his home, how much he missed his family.

He had returned so happily, wanting only to reunite with his family, but everything had changed.

”Sigh, you did the right thing,” Old Sir Qian said. ”If Xiao He knew about this, he would have completely fallen apart. It might have caused delays and prevented him from having his status restored so quickly.”

”Yes, that’s why as soon as we got off the train, I had Nuanyang take He Qiang to Master Hu’s place. I wanted Master Hu to be the one to tell him, to give him a chance to prepare himself mentally,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a sigh. ”I just hope he can come to terms with it soon.”

”Something like this... he really does have to work through it himself,” Old Sir Qian said. ”But I think Xiao He is a good man, not an extremist. I’m sure he’ll come around quickly. After all, for those of us who have been through life and death, we learn to let go of things.”

Old Madam Qian also nodded. ”Yes. Only by letting go of the past can you look forward to happiness.”

Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian looked at each other, finding comfort in one another’s eyes.

Their son was dead, but they still had their daughter-in-law and grandson. Life had to go on. If they kept wallowing in the pain of the past, then all their years of waiting and hardship would have been for nothing.

When they arrived at the house, Zhao Nuanyue took out the key and opened the door.

Hua Yusen had gotten the key back for Zhao Nuanyue. After opening the door, she solemnly handed it to Old Sir Qian. ”Uncle Qian, welcome home. These are your keys.”

Old Sir Qian’s hands trembled with emotion as he accepted the keys to his own home.

It was a three-story building with a large courtyard. The yard was overgrown, but clean.

The house, too, felt desolate and cheerless from being vacant for so long, but now that people had returned, it would soon recover its vitality.

The valuables inside were all gone. Only a few simple pieces of furniture remained, leaving the house feeling empty.

”Uncle Qian, Aunt Qian, as for the things in the house, Hua has already done his best to find them for you, but he was only able to recover a portion,” Zhao Nuanyue said, ashamed. ”Please, don’t be upset.”

”Nuanyue, you mustn’t say that,” Old Madam Qian said, shaking her head. ”We’re already so grateful just to be able to come back. Getting the house back is also thanks to you. As for the things inside, what’s gone is gone. As long as the people are here, that’s far more precious than any of those things.”

Seeing the elderly couple was so understanding, Zhao Nuanyue breathed a sigh of relief.

”Little Red Carp, could you help Grandpa Qian and Grandma Qian wash up? There’s hot water in the bathroom. I’m going to make everyone some food,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. She had prepared some rice, vegetables, and meat in advance.

”Okay!” Little Red Carp nodded. ”Grandma Qian, Grandpa Qian, there’s hot water over here.”

By the time Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian had washed up, Zhao Nuanyue had already prepared egg noodles. She brought out some cold dishes she had made earlier, along with half a pound of soy-braised beef.

Seeing the meal laid out on the table, Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian were even more grateful. ”Thank you, Nuanyue, Little Red Carp.”

Zhao Nuanyue smiled and replied, ”There’s no need to thank us. Hurry up and eat. I have another piece of good news for you both.”

”Just being back is already wonderful news! What other good news could there be?” Old Sir Qian asked excitedly, his heart filled with the hope that his daughter-in-law and grandson might be able to return from the remote Northeast.

Old Madam Qian stopped eating as well, her eyes fixed on Zhao Nuanyue.

”Hehe, it seems you two won’t eat until I tell you,” Zhao Nuanyue chuckled. ”I received a message this morning. They’ve already started the process of restoring your daughter-in-law’s position. If all goes smoothly, she should be able to come back in about a month.”

If you’re going to do a good deed, you see it through to the end.

When Hua Yusen helped to expedite the restoration of Old Sir Qian’s and Old Madam Qian’s status, he also moved their daughter-in-law’s case up, hoping the family could be reunited sooner.

”Wonderful! That’s just wonderful!” Old Madam Qian clasped her hands together. The family could finally be reunited.

Seeing that the two elders still weren’t eating, Little Red Carp quickly reminded them, ”Grandpa Qian, Grandma Qian, strong emotions can be bad for your health, whether it’s anger or even too much joy. You’ve both been so excited today, it’s not good for you. Please calm down and eat. With your talents, you still need to contribute to the university for another twenty years. You can’t do that if you don’t eat.”

”That’s right, Little Red Carp knows what she’s talking about,” Zhao Nuanyue added. ”You two, please calm down. You mustn’t let this wonderful news affect your health.”

”Alright, calm, calm,” Old Madam Qian said, beaming. As she ate, her spirits were incredibly high.

The beds in the bedroom were already made. After helping them wash the dishes, Zhao Nuanyue saw them off to rest, and only then did she bid them farewell and head home.

With an outsider present, Old Madam Qian and Old Sir Qian had been holding back. But once everyone had left, the old couple held each other tightly, gazing into each other’s eyes.

They had come back alive. They were back in their own home.

In another month, their family would be whole again.